She looked to the duchess. “Charlie has an excellent vocabulary but is just learning words. Some of the ones he might wish to use could be difficult for him to spell. I have agreed to help him with this endeavor.”

  Her Grace slipped an arm about Charlie’s shoulders. “My, I think that a most excellent idea. I cannot wait to hear this story. Do you know what it will be about?”

  Charlie thought a minute. “I haven’t decided yet. It may have talking animals in it, though.”

  The duchess clapped her hands. “Oh, your uncle and I would like that very much. But I am afraid I have come to interrupt your lessons today. For that, I apologize, Miss Birmingham.”

  “Your visits are never an interruption, Your Grace,” she assured the duchess.

  “Well, this isn’t a usual visit where I come in and try to teach a lesson myself. This involves me taking the boys from the schoolroom.”

  Freddie sat up eagerly. “Where are we going, Sera?”

  The duchess laughed. “Into Marston. I have noticed the two of you are already outgrowing the clothes that were made up for you when you came to Woodbridge.” She pointed to Freddie’s wrist. “See how your shirt is showing your wrist? And your pant leg is showing a bit of ankle, too. You are growing incredibly fast. We must have new clothes tailored for you.”

  “Can we go to the bakery after the tailor fits us for our new clothes?” Charlie asked.

  “I think a visit to the bakery is an excellent idea.” The duchess turned to Julia. “You are most welcome to come into the village with us, Miss Birmingham, and browse among the shops while I stay at the tailor with the boys.”

  The idea appealed immensely to Julia. If she remained behind, the chance of running into Lord Devin might increase. Being gone from Woodbridge would help her not only put physical distance between them but help her manage her feelings better. By the time they returned, she would be brave enough to speak with Lord Devin and establish a schedule to help him in his writing efforts.

  “I would be happy to accompany you into Marston, Your Grace.”

  “Very well,” the duchess said. “Is it convenient if we leave now?”

  Julia liked that about the duchess. Lord and Lady Pelham would never have asked her if something were convenient for her. She was merely ordered about, told where to go and what to do.

  “We had not yet begun our lesson, Your Grace. Yes, this would be a convenient time.”

  “That is good to know,” the duchess replied. “We should go downstairs. Hopefully, the carriage will be waiting for us.”

  “Let me collect my shawl and reticule,” Julia said. “Boys, please go along with your aunt downstairs. I will be there shortly.”

  She crossed the schoolroom and entered her bedchamber, which was much larger than the one she had occupied at the Pelhams’ country residence. It was similar in size to the one she had been given while serving as the Dowager Marchioness of Sowbury’s companion. Once again, she thought fondly of the dowager marchioness and how the old woman had made Julia’s transition into service so seamless. If her first position had been serving in Lord Pelham’s household, it would have been a much different story.

  She retrieved her things and went to the staircase, hurrying down the stairs and actually catching up to the others as she reached the foyer. Her Grace’s lady’s maid wrapped a shawl about her mistress’ shoulders. A footman opened the door and their party ventured outside, where the carriage was waiting.

  Along with Lord Devin.

  A rush of unnamed emotions flitted through her and her heart slammed against her ribs violently. She sensed her cheeks heating and averted her eyes to the ground.

  “Lord Devin!” cried Freddie. “Are you going into Marston with us?”

  “Indeed, I am, Freddie. Her Grace knew I was going to the village tailor to be fitted for some new clothes so that I don’t have to borrow your uncle’s clothing anymore. She realized the both of you also needed to visit him so we are going into the village together.” He paused a moment and then said, “Ah, I see Miss Birmingham is joining us.”

  Reluctantly, Julia lifted her gaze and met his. If she had known Lord Devin was accompanying them today, she never would have agreed to the outing.

  Lord Devin smiled at her and then turned and took the duchess’ hand. “Let me hand you up.”

  Her Grace clasped his hand and then made an awful noise. She broke away and dashed a few steps away, vomiting the contents of her belly on the ground.

  Julia hurried over to her, slipping a handkerchief from her reticule and handing it to the woman. The duchess took it and dabbed her lips.

  “Thank you, Miss Birmingham. These bouts of nausea come on quite suddenly.”

  By now, Freddie and Charlie had also raced to them. Charlie slipped an arm about the duchess’ waist.

  “Are you all right, Sera?” he asked, worry creasing his brow.

  “I am feeling a little ill. Perhaps I should go and lie down for a bit.”

  “We can help you,” Freddie offered.

  “Thank you, Freddie. If you will see me to the foyer, that would be lovely.” Before she left, though, the duchess looked to Julia. “Would you take my place at the tailor’s, Miss Birmingham? The boys really do need to have some new clothes made up for them. I know you have impeccable taste.”

  It would have been churlish to deny her employer’s request and so Julia said, “Of course, Your Grace. I would be happy to do so.”

  “Come inside, Sera,” urged Charlie, who stood on one side of his aunt as Freddie took the other side. The boys solicitously guided their aunt into the house.

  Julia watched them go, reluctant to turn around, knowing she had nothing to say to Lord Devin. Then he spoke.

  “I hope there will be no awkwardness between us, Miss Birmingham.”

  If he were going to ignore their kisses, then she could do the same. Smiling brightly at him, she said, “We should set up a schedule, my lord. Remember, I am to help supervise you as you work on your handwriting.”

  He smiled wryly and said, “We might start tomorrow,” he suggested. “After this morning’s outing, I am to meet with Mr. Kepler. Having no idea how long I will spend with him, I would hate to arrange an appointment with you and have to break it.”

  “Then tomorrow will suffice, my lord. Why don’t you come upstairs once you have finished breakfasting with Their Graces. I will set a lesson for the boys to work on and then help you get started.”

  “My lessons are to be in the schoolroom?” he asked.

  “Where else would they be?” she questioned.

  Julia needed for the lessons to occur in the schoolroom. Freddie and Charlie would serve as chaperones for them. Even if she felt the burning desire of giving in to temptation and kiss this man, she would not act rashly in front of her charges.

  “It is the ideal and most appropriate place for our lessons to take place, my lord. Once I give you something to do, if you wish to leave and practice on your own in your room, you may do so. Then you can bring your work back to me and I will check your progress.”

  “That sounds like an awful lot of coming and going,” he mused. Pinning her gaze, Lord Devin said, “I think I will take all my lessons in the schoolroom.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Devin knew it was a mistake to tell Miss Birmingham that by the look on her face. Her jaw dropped. Her eyes widened. Then she quickly recovered her composure.

  “That will be acceptable, my lord,” she said in what he thought of as her governess voice.

  The words that came from her lips also sounded like a governess. But those lips?

  Ah, now there was Heaven in those sinful lips and what she could do with them.

  Miss Birmingham had never been kissed before their encounter in the gardens last night. Of that, Devin was certain. Still, she was a clever woman who caught on quickly. He only wished it could have been more than kissing. He had stopped himself from doing anything more.

  And it had been the hardest thing in his life. Even harder than losing his fingers to that bloody bastard John Kerley.

  Devin realized he was in serious trouble as he drank in Miss Birmingham.

  The safe thing to do would be to avoid her as if she carried the plague.

  He had never played safe in his life. He had been a daredevil as a boy, wanting to climb higher, swim farther, and ride faster than anyone around him. As an adult, he had charged into battle with no concern for his well-being, only for the men he led into battle.

  But would taking a risk now be wise?

  He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. Miss Birmingham was a nice woman, not some camp trollop passed around among soldiers. She was good and kind and quite proper.

  Even if her lips sang a siren’s song to him.

  She would leave Woodbridge someday, when Freddie and Charlie were set to go off to school. Her next post might take her far away. Governesses weren’t meant to wed, least of all ex-soldiers who were mutilated. Devin had nothing to offer her.

  Unless he took Kepler’s place. Win was encouraging him to do so and Devin already had half a mind to accept it even before he spoke to the steward and found out what was involved. If he did, he could have Miss Birmingham.

  If she would have him.

  The possibility existed that she might not want him. That she would stay with Freddie and Charlie until they left for school. He gazed at her generous breasts and small waist and wished his hands encircled that waist now and that he feasted upon those breasts. The thought would most likely horrify her. Could he stay on at Woodbridge and maintain his sanity if she told him no?

  Devin hadn’t a clue if that would be possible.

  She turned as the boys came running out of the house. One arched brow from her and the pair roared to a halt before proceeding to walk the remaining way. They came to stand before her.

  “That was quite lovely, you escorting your aunt inside when she felt a bit under the weather,” the governess praised. “I was pleased that you were so thoughtful.”

  “We like helping,” Freddie said. “Sera always helps us.”

  Charlie looked worried. “I hope Sera won’t get sick like Mama did.”

  Devin exchanged a glance with Miss Birmingham and decided he should tell Win and Sera about what Charlie said. Of the two boys, he seemed the more sensitive one. There was no sense worrying either child when the couple could reveal the new addition coming to their family.

  “I think Her Grace is just fine,” Miss Birmingham assured the boys. “She would be the first to tell you so herself if she weren’t.”

  “She did look better after she puked,” Freddie said helpfully. “You know, Charlie, it might be like the men we used to see who got drunk. Sometimes, they would puke it up and then they were all better.”

  “Your aunt was not drinking!” chided Miss Birmingham.

  “Oh, we know that, Miss Birmingham,” Freddie said. “She just looked better after she got sick, that’s all I’m saying. When I was sick before, I didn’t want to throw up and would try to keep it inside me. Mama told me to let it out and I would feel better.” Sadness crossed his face. “I miss Mama.”

  Miss Birmingham slipped an arm about both boys. “Of course, you do. She was your mama and the person you loved the most. She hasn’t been gone long and even when many years have passed, there will still be times you will miss her.”

  “Is your mama dead?” asked Freddie.

  She nodded. “Both my parents are no longer alive.”

  Freddie gazed up at her. “Do you miss them?”

  Her eyes misted with tears. “Very much so, Freddie. But I believe they are looking down upon me from Heaven and they are very proud of me. Your mother is also proud of you. I’m sure of it.”

  Charlie sniffed and wiped his nose with his sleeve.

  “We should go,” Devin said, trying to break the sadness which had blanketed the outing. He consulted his pocket watch.

  The boys hurried to the carriage, where the steps had been placed in front of the door.

  “We can help you up, Miss Birmingham,” Freddie said.

  “Thank you,” the governess said, accepting a hand from each of them and stepping into the vehicle.

  “Do you need our help, my lord?” Charlie asked.

  “No. Go ahead, boys.”

  They scrambled into the coach and he quickly followed. Immediately, he saw they had taken the seat opposite their governess.

  Devin decided to sit beside her.

  She was sitting in the middle, obviously thinking the boys would join her. To her obvious dismay, he sat next to her. She tugged on her skirts.

  “Oh, I am sorry,” he said, lifting slightly so that she could pull the gown from under him.

  She edged away from him but Devin settled himself close to her. Closer than he probably should have. She was too polite to say anything in front of her charges, though. He was glad because he caught the violet scent that was so very appealing. He told himself he was merely sniffing her. Not kissing her. Sniffing didn’t count as anything.

  He now knew kissing counted as everything.

  Devin marveled how a brief encounter kissing one woman—a straitlaced governess, at that—could have changed his outlook. He had kissed more than his fair share of women over the years. None had affected him like the prim and proper blond sitting beside him. He told himself again that he wasn’t marriage material. He was damaged, both physically and deep into his soul. In fact, after so many years at war, Devin didn’t even know if he had a soul left. If he did, it was in shreds and believed in nothing and no one.

  Besides, why would Miss Birmingham want to uproot her life for the likes of a maimed war veteran? She seemed quite good at what she did and obviously cared for these boys. He needed to stop thinking about her.

  He would simply inhale her scent instead.

  The boys kept up a constant chatter all the way to Marston. Miss Birmingham seemed to listen to them indulgently and pointed out a few things to them as they made their way to the village, which did not take long to reach.

  The carriage came to a halt and the door opened.

  “Should we help you down, Miss Birmingham?” Charlie asked.

  “If you would like. That would be very gentlemanly,” she replied.

  Devin was put out for a moment. He would have liked to help her down.

  He also would like to do some very ungentlemanly things to her. Things which would make her scream with pleasure. Things that would have her writhing beneath him, calling out his name. His blood warmed at these forbidden thoughts.

  Freddie and Charlie hurried down the stairs and Devin followed them. Miss Birmingham appeared in the doorway and reached out to take the hands offered her, moving slowly down the stairs.

  Then she somehow stumbled and began to fall forward. Quickly, he stepped forward and caught her waist, easing her to the ground. His fingers, all eight of them, lingered a moment before releasing her. Their gazes met and she inhaled quickly.

  “What happened, Miss Birmingham?” demanded Freddie. “I thought we had you.”

  “I slipped on a step,” she said. “My mind must have wandered.”

  She grew pink as she said this. Devin wondered if it was because she had been thinking of him.

  “You are fine now,” he said cheerfully. “We have arrived at the tailor’s safe and sound. Come along.”

  Then he stepped toward her and slipped her hand through the crook of his arm. She tried to remove it but he held fast.

  “I am not a lady, my lord,” she hissed quietly as the boys ran ahead and opened the shop door.

  “You are a female and a lady in my sight, Miss Birmingham.”

  She arched a brow. “Would you escort Cook in the same way if she were here instead of me?”

  “I most certainly would. Staying on Cook’s good side is very important,” he joked.

  The governess snorted. “You are a man with a ready, flippant answer in every circumstance, I believe.”

  He chuckled. “If you are complimenting my wit, Miss Birmingham, then I will accept it as such.”

  Her lips pursed a moment. “And if I am not?”

  “Then I will merely believe you think me clever and not ask otherwise.”

  Devin led her into the tailor’s shop, where Freddie stood holding the door open for them.

  Immediately, an older gentleman came to meet them. The boys greeted him and then looked to their governess, who nodded and said, “You may continue with an introduction.”

  Freddie took the lead. “Mr. Pritchard, this is Miss Birmingham, our governess, and Lord Devin, a friend of Uncle Win’s.” He paused. “Is that right?”

  “While you usually introduce a lady first, I have no rank in Polite Society,” Miss Birmingham explained. “That means you should introduce Lord Devin first. I would also say Lord Devin Hunt. Use a person’s full name and title the first time you make an introduction.”

  Freddie nodded eagerly. “I will.”

  “But you are a lady, Miss Birmingham,” Charlie protested. “Females are supposed to be introduced first.”

  “That is usually the case, Charlie,” the governess said. “But I am considered a servant. Servants are rarely introduced and only after everyone else has been presented.”

  “But you don’t make the beds or cook our food,” Charlie protested. “So, you aren’t really like a servant.”

  “I am, Charlie,” she insisted. “His Grace pays me a salary as he does all his other servants. My job is to teach you and Freddie.”

  Charlie frowned. “I still think you are a lady.”

  She smiled fondly at the boy. “Thank you,” she said softly, pulling her hand gracefully from Devin’s hold. Turning to the tailor, she said, “Her Grace was unable to come today, Mr. Pritchard, but she asked me to help regarding some new items for Master Freddie and Master Charlie. As you can easily observe, they are quickly outgrowing what you made up for them a few months ago.”

  The tailor studied both boys. “You are growing quickly. Yes, I can sew replacements for you.”

  “Her Grace asked that I talk over the number of garments and the various materials to be used,” Miss Birmingham added. “But Lord Devin is also here for your services.” She took a few steps back so the focus could be on him.